A year and a half ago, the idea of buying the virtual currency bitcoin was laughable. After a rapid rise in value in 2013, the cryptocurrency’s value more than halved by mid-2015. At its lowest point, one bitcoin was equal to about $230. But now Bitcoin is at an all-time high, and rising. Within the last month, the price of one bitcoin has climbed from $1,280 to around $1,480. Given the currency’s covert nature, the average person still may not understand how buying and selling actually works. Using the app Coinbase, which lets anyone trade bitcoins for a small fee, we decided to find out. A brief warning: If you’re going to do this, tell your bank you’re about to buy bitcoin. More on that later. This article provides a step by step process of buying Bitcoin, so I recommend reading the article if you’re interested in purchasing it. The author also has his reservations about using Coinbase, however I personally am going to use this site to buy Ethereum. It is another cryptocurrency. If you’re interested in forming an investment group with me, then contact me.

Jacob Fugger was a German banker who financed kings, explorers, bishops and popes — and along the way made the biggest fortune ever amassed by a business person. The grandson of a peasant, he persuaded Leo X to legalize for-profit lending. One of his money-making schemes provoked Martin Luther to write the 95 Theses and kick off the Reformation. He played kingmaker in the 1519 election for Holy Roman Emperor. Jacob (Jakob in German) Fugger and his money gave the vote to Charles V of Spain and put Charles atop an empire as big as Napoleon’s. Fugger was worth about $400 billion in current dollars at the time of his death in 1525 — or 2% of Europe’s GDP at the time. (John D. Rockefeller was close in dollar terms, but his wealth equaled a smaller part of the U.S. economy.) Here are some of his secrets: invest when others fear, be indispensable, know the facts, know the numbers, get a good education, keep cool, and give something back. It’s best to not let fear or analysis-paralysis stop you from making a move when it comes to investing into your future. Do you have a vision? Do you have a mission? Do you have it written out? Be indispensable not just in your work place, but in your life. If you have integrity then people will trust in you and be willing to help you. Do what you say and say what you do, but make sure you think before you speak. Knowing the facts and the numbers will help you stay grounded. Getting a good education will help you draw out the person you are destined to be. Study what you love even if it’s for free, but think about how can you turn it into an income generating asset. How can it generate passive income or any form of income? Keep cool and use your will to stay focused on your plan whatever it may be. However, in the end, look at everything through the lens of eternity and legacy. There’s no sense in amassing great wealth with no plan on how you can help humanity. Fugger is best known as the creator of the Fuggerei, the world’s first affordable housing project. He thought anyone who worked deserved to have a roof over their head. Rent came to one quarter the market rate. The Fuggerei remains in operation and is the largest tourist attraction in his home city of Augsburg. Greg Steinmetz is the author of “The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger.” I encourage you to read a book on a topic that interests, and a topic that is challenging to read to keep feeding one of your greatest assets: your mind.